Christchurch Hospital asks families to help cover staff shortages

Healthcare assistants help monitor people for confusion, delirium or dementia symptoms. Photo / George Heard

By Rachel Graham of RNZ

Relatives of distressed patients at Christchurch Hospital have been asked to come in to help because of a shortage of healthcare assistants.

Information provided by a Christchurch Hospital staff member, who asked not to be named, shows the hospital had so few healthcare assistants on June 22 that managers were asked to see if patients’ family members could come in to sit with them.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegate Al Dietschin said the request related to patient watches, which were usually done by the assistants to monitor people for confusion, delirium or dementia symptoms.

“Essentially being with the patient to keep them safe, to try and de-escalate when they get agitated, to prevent them from hurting themselves through a fall, or interrupting therapy like pulling on IV lines or catheters. It is a role that is very important for patient safety,” he said.

Staffing shortfall

Dietschin said relatives were sometimes asked to come in if a patient was particularly agitated and staff believed they would benefit from having a family member with them, but the June 22 request for people to come in or stay longer appeared to come from a need to cover a staffing shortfall.

He said patient watch training was often inadequate so it was even harder for family members to know what to do.

“I’ve spoken to family members before who are exhausted themselves and haven’t been coping with the patient at home; expecting them to come in and deal with them at the hospital setting is not any better,” he said.

Dietschin said the shortage of healthcare assistants at public hospitals had been an issue for some time because of underfunding and employment freezes.

Some casual staff were not getting shifts so it appeared that roster gaps were being left unfilled rather than people being unavailable, he said.

Dietchin said healthcare assistants always appreciated help from families but it was unacceptable for hospital managers to expect them to take on the role of employed staff.

Staff illness

Health New Zealand’s Canterbury director of nursing Becky Hickmott said there was a large volume of patients, coupled with a significant number of staff who rang in sick at short notice.

“We worked hard to meet the demand and ensure all patients were seen and cared for appropriately. We also looked to cohort patients that required closer observation,” she said.

“Where it was known family members were coming in to be with their loved one this allowed nursing resources to be allocated slightly differently - knowing a family member was at the bedside of the patient and hence could escalate any care concerns as required. It was not suggested family would provide care.”